Boys' 800m final report - Donetsk 2013

WRITTEN FOR THE IAAF WEBSITE

Kenya’s Alfred Kipketer was lucky to hang onto the lead in the closing stages of a fascinating 800m final, as the 16-year-old desperately managed to hang on for victory after a suicidal first 400m which was quicker than world record pace.

Flying off from the gun to clock an astonishing 48.63 split - which is significantly faster than 49.28 Kenyan, David Rudisha ran en route to the 1:40.91 fastest time ever in claiming gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games last summer - Kipketer was eventually caught with 200m remaining but surprisingly, had enough energy in reserve to hold the lead in the dying yards.

Registering a swift 1:48.01 lifetime best, he captured Kenya’s fifth title in the 14-year history of this event in this championship in the process, whilst improving on his 1:48.38 personal best from the semi-final stage two days earlier (11) – a time which was achieved after running 1:50.14 lifetime best in the qualifying stage the day before that (10).

Settling for the silver medal at the end of an impressive fight for gold down the home-straight, Russia’s Konstantin Tolokonnikov clocked a 1:48.29 personal best, with the 17-year-old taking his nation’s first ever medal in this World youth event.

Also in the thick of the last-gasp battle for silverware at the end of a bizarre race, Great Britain’s Kyle Langford finished third with a 1:48.85 lifetime best to take the nation’s first ever medal in this event during the eight editions of this championship.

Further back in fourth, Ethiopia’s Mamush Lencha clocked 1:49.85 as Germany’s Marc Reuther ran a 1:50.05 personal best for fifth.